Diggin' the Dharma

What are some techniques we can use to develop a regular meditation practice? Doug and Jon's guest Bodhipaksa has taught a course on this and is in the process of writing a book about it. Lots of goo…

Doug and Jon have a spirited discussion with our guest,  writer and Buddhist meditation teacher, Bodhipaksa, on Fake Buddha Quotes. How important is it to get the Buddha right? What is a "Fake Buddha…

Is there such a thing as collective karma? Doug and Jon will consider the picture of karma given in early Buddhism, and compare it to the idea of collective karma, or alternately to a notion of 'aggr…

The world events of the past week,  added, perhaps to our own personal challenges, may bring up the question of how to respond.    Meditation is not meant as an escape from these challenges.  Rather,…

Among the factors of the Eightfold Noble Path is Right Effort.  This is part of the meditation path, and for many, finding the right energy in our meditation practice is a big challenge.
Doug and Jon …

Many folks with western religious upbringings find discomfort when faced, at least in a practice context, with a Buddha Rupa (statue) or other images and of course even more so when bowing or offerin…

We decided this week to speak about the Two Truths-- the Relative and the Absolute, or the Mundane and the Ultimate.   Are they real or just another construct?  How did they find their way into the B…

There are many ways of investigating experience, including the six elements of earth, water, fire, air (wind), space, and consciousness.   In this episode, we discuss how these practices can lead to …

Exercise is important for our bodies and minds. How do we approach exercise as a meditation ? Can we exercise mindfully, and what would that look like?  In fact, any activity we do can be a meditatio…

Being in the present moment also means acceptance of the present moment whether we like it or not.  This is a key to Buddhist practice and a key to freedom.  It's also a challenge, mainly when what i…

Dealing with wildfires associated with global warming turns our mind to one of the Buddha's most famous and trenchant suttas, his third discourse, the Fire Sermon.

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato:
https:…

Doug and Jon respond to three member questions on how to reconcile non-judgment in our practice with the role of ethics, as well as how we can best deal with personal criticism and even aggression fr…

In this listener Q&A, Doug and Jon answer two questions: teachers' roles in guiding their students in the dharma, and how our past trauma might influence our journey.   We don't pretend to have speci…

The time we are living through just now has been termed a poly-crisis.  A combination of existential crises happening all at once.  Whether it's climate change, the war in Ukraine, pandemics, worldwi…

How do we negotiate the Buddha's teachings on craving and clinging with our deep love of family and friends?   What is the difference between true love and "attached love," and when does attached lov…

Buddha Nature is a concept that arises primarily in the Mahayana Buddhist teachings, though without using that language, specifically,  could certainly be interpreted within the early teachings as we…

The present moment seems to come and go, but is that the case?  What is the present moment anyway?  This is a deep philosophical question and certainly a central point of Buddhist practice.   Doug an…

In these days of divisiveness, it's easy to get into political arguments or, at the very least, think ill thoughts about some of our leaders.    The Buddha's words on wise speech can be a useful guid…

A recent comment on our website prompted a discussion about whether certain  Buddhist practices (Lovingkindness for instance)  involve magical thinking.   

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Doug and Jon discuss two natural abilities we have to skillfully maneuver through the world. The Buddha discussed them as "guardians of the world" (Iti. 42).

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